As joblessness rates rise, people are getting desperate. One of the saddest signs of the continuing recession to date, calls to suicide hotlines have risen nearly 20 percent.

From Huffington Post: As layoffs surged late in 2008, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, a group based in D.C. and Massachusetts that helps organizations develop suicide prevention programs, reviewed two decades' worth of research on the question. It found that a "strong relationship exists between unemployment, the economy, and suicide."

And what's sickening is many of these so-called representatives come from states and/or districts with high unemployment and they still, as a whole, refuse to do what they were elected to do, represent their constituents! Shame on them! I'm sure if a bill were put in front of Obama that adds weeks of benefits for exhaustees, he would sign it in an instant.

jmainframe wrote:And what's sickening is many of these so-called representatives come from states and/or districts with high unemployment and they still, as a whole, refuse to do what they were elected to do, represent their constituents! Shame on them! I'm sure if a bill were put in front of Obama that adds weeks of benefits for exhaustees, he would sign it in an instant.

If,as you say,a bill was put forth and in front of Obama and he would sign it then why on earth didn't the Dems do what you just said after the Nov elections.I mean they were aware what was gonna happen Jan 1 and still chose to do nothing and please don't say the Repubs would of out manuvered them and blocked it because if that was the case they would of blocked Obama care.So what do we reason from all this I.m.o. we are a political pawn for both partys to be helped only when there majasty's decide it will help one or the other party.The system is broke,the countrys broke,our collective leaders are corrupt and we the peasents are left to fight over crumbs of bread.Makes me sick.....

Obama cares nothing about the future. Except his own future for getting re-elected. While no one else has announced they are running as of yet for either Party, this clown is out campaigning already, as he was back in Chicago one night last week already working on fund raising. Then again, has he really ever stopped the Campaign trail since he started back in 2007?Meanwhile, his side kick Biden, was caught again falling asleep during Obama's budget speech last week. Biden is a nice man, I've had the opp to meet him twice now. But that does not make someone the right person for the job.This crew has to go in 2012.

I dont know if anyone remembers, but back when one of the fights for extensions was going on Obama had a few 99ers present at his press conference. I believe he supports and would sign a bill for 99ers.

I REMEMBER!!!!!! It was for the main extension that covered all existing tiers for another year. He had a man and two women beside him. One was on unemployment and the other two were long-term unemployed with one almost running out of benefits or had already done so. I thought to myself, why would the President use these people as examples for extending the existing tiers when one or more of them wouldn't really benefit? Must be a reason. I think Obama would sign a 99er bill. Remember, the whole tea party thing was going on then too.

It's disappointing that Congress hasn't added more weeks or another Tier of unemployment benefits to help the exhaustees. I am truly saddened for them, having been one and fortunate enough myself to have found some part time work to get by.